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Blue moon… we recently watched “The Smurfs”… Yeah, you figured it right. I got the title of this blog from that movie. I just find it apt because there are things I don’t do often like reading a novel for leisure, cross-stitching, swimming, shopping and dating with girl friends…

We waited for this movie like forever… We saw the trailer sometime last summer, and I couldn’t wait til it was shown in the big screen. We did not watch the first day of screening not because we did not like to queue (which usually happens), t’was just my hubby and I were busy with our work and we did not want to rush and not enjoy the movie date. But contrary to what we expected, he got up thrice and went out to receive and make calls— three calls for client and one from my daughter’s teach.

I watched it a few nights ago….it wasn’t the kind of movie that most people watched… well for those viewers who loved happy endings. With “The Romantics”… you might be disappointed with its ending. It was kinda hanging, and you would be frustrated with the personalities of the characters… especially with the three main characters:

I watched the movie 3 weeks ago… It is my habit to watch the movie first before reading the novel. I saw the novel way back 2007, but I decided not to buy because I was not up for reading… I know It will come to the silver screen soon just like Message In A Bottle,A Walk To Remember,The Notebook,Nights In Rodanthe… I read the books after I watched them… but I never watched them with my husband during the first viewing, I went mostly with my girlfriends, or my mother [like with Dear John] or sister [the notebook]… and I ended with copies of the movies. I am a sucker for love stories.

Anyway, I bought the book last Monday {as a gift to myself, for the job well-done at work and post birthday gift too, for the record I only had eBooks of Nicholas Sparks from friends}, and finished reading today… and surprisingly, I liked how it ended in the movie… which is not the usual case… exception to the rule I know… I always love the novel as anticipated of course…

I know I am not the only one crying… I will persuade my sistah to read it… so that she will be grief-stricken as I am.

Overall, the book was… well not bad… for a person like me who can tolerate somewhat ludicrous sort of plot… It was nothing heavy nor meaty. I know it is a bittersweet story…Well, what do you expect, It is Nicholas Sparks, he is so good with that… even if people would say, his novel is predictable…but on the other hand I give good credit to the scriptwriter of the movie, Jamie Linden, for making some twist, for making it clear in the ending, which the novel cruelly left me hanging… sure, I can end it the way I want it… and I want it that way in the movie. I just love romance and how can things be so romantic when the ending didn’t bring justice to the lead characters? That’s seamy on that part, right?

Nevertheless, I was entertained for both novel and movie ~especially it was Channing Tatum… my lachrymal ducts work, so I shed tears and my heart was crushed while reading the book, which made me look crazy by the way as my son described me… but I would like to throw the book too nonetheless… for making me feel so bad especially after finishing the book.

I find this film a good movie. The way it is presented… it is not churchy and preachy. Anyone could relate to marital issues in all forms.

My heart was broken because a friend of mine back home is going through a storm in her marriage… and reality bites.

But I agree with what the bishop said in the movie…

“without God as the third strand of the cord in your marriage… your marriage is not going to make it through…” well, something to that effect.

Other Best Quote from the Film:

Dave Johnson: Down through history men have always been measured by how hard they work and cultivated, how well the protected their wife and children. In the old days woman saw their man as conquerors, providers, heroes. But somewhere along the line that change, woman started to became their own hero, maybe it was because their man forgot to be relic or because woman don’t want to be protected anymore or maybe woman had to be their own hero because of the pain they had to endure in life. But whatever the cause, the world took away a man’s reason for being a man. It told him he wasn’t important anymore and when that happened, it turn the whole world upside down.

Yes it is another feel good movie. And yes…the ending is so predictable… and it is another simple love story… of finding true love. I can not say it is a five star movie… but it has made me grin most of the time. It hit my weakest point and made me rekindle my own love story. Matthew Goode may not be the hottest male personality in Hollywood in comparison to Mark Wahlberg or Antonio Banderas or Rob Pattinson (don’t forget that the choice of comparison is subjective) but Goode seems just right for the role. He was so charming. His disposition in the movie reminded me of an old flame.

The thing about love story- for those who love this genre, is that it would not only entertain them but also would make the lovers of the genre find their way back to their own true love. The chemistry of Amy Adams and Matthew Goode are exceptionally good. The way they restraint their emotions for each other adds sizzle in the story. The existence of Adam Scott adds spice in the film. Well, love triangle always works.

Those emotions seen in the movie are real. Like the fiancé of Amy Adams- Jeremy, some people like Jeremy commit to the relationship not because they are driven by love but – sad to say- comfort and convenience. Being presumptuous – the attitude of Anna Brady (Amy Adams), is in reality a big turn off. While I was watching the film, I could not help but give a remark like the character deserves all the tough luck so she’ll come to her sense. Well, I do get carried away when watching a movie. Declan tried to suppress his feelings, and is indifferent to women because of his past experience. A person who does not deal his own broken heart – or meet head on the situation in general, will grow indifferent towards others. If Declan does not need money to redeem his hostelry, he would not bother bringing Anna to Dublin. Of course, the scriptwriter tried to weave the lives of the characters in the story- and present it as fate in the movie.

Another thing that brings color to the movie is the Irish culture exposed in the film. The people around- mostly the men, presented their superstition in a humorous way- so I thought. Spitting on their palm before Declan (Matthew Goode) and another character made a handshake for a deal is a bit bizarre.

Now, I leave you your own verdict and go watch the film. I hope I did not spoil the movie too much. For me, I had fun watching and I did watch it more than once… In fact, I plan to buy my own DVD to add it in my collection.

I again could not sleep last night so I decided to watch a movie…hoping that it would make me feel sleepy.But it turned out that I was enjoying the movie from start to finish. Title? It is LEAP YEAR. I am not a biggest fan of Amy Adams…but she is ok. I find Matthew Goode charming. I first saw him in CHASING LIBERTY- for the love of Mandy Moore. I watched most of her movies you know…even if the story seemed terrible, of course with the exception of A Walk To Remember. I love Nicholas Sparks too.

Anyway…it was around 3 am already…but I was still wide awake and was laughing while watching this film. I find the movie hilarious, nice and spicy. It is DEFINITELY another feel good movie that I would like to add in my library.

So I enclosed the trailer of the film, the official poster and the quotes I liked. LOL. Oh the excerpt too which definitely is A SPOILER! Tsk! Sorry. I can’t help but blog this with my heart out.

QUOTES:

Bride: May you never steal, lie, or cheat, but if you must steal, then steal away my sorrows, and if you must lie, lie with me all the nights of my life, and if you must cheat, then please cheat death because I couldn’t live a day without you. Cheers!

— Declan: Jesus Christ! Anna: …is Lord.

PLOT from IMDb

A woman who has an elaborate scheme to propose to her boyfriend on Leap Day, an Irish tradition which occurs every time the date February 29 rolls around, faces a major setback when bad weather threatens to derail her planned trip to Dublin. With the help of an innkeeper, however, her cross-country odyssey just might result in her getting engaged.

I dunno if this blog is now specifically for movie reviews…since my last entry was also about a movie. And yeah… it is a film with Meryl Streep again in the cast…though I did not plan the line up…normally, we would just grab anything that we deemed worth watching.

My hubby and I like Meryl. I have confessed this admiration in my previous article. We truly adore her acting skills…we would really smile if not laugh out loud when she does her role. Like every fan would say… she brings justice to her role- whether she plays the protagonist or the antagonist.

So last night we watched JULIE and JULIA. Of course you know this film…this was released sometime last year. It was not may be the kind of film that everyone would eagerly watch like how anyone would want to watch AVATAR or New Moon or 2012… but still this movie had gotten my interest- my husband too… which is the most important thing… that we would enjoy every time we watch a movie at home or in theater.

As for the review of JULIE and JULIA, i changed my mind coz it is obviously subjective coz I love Meryl. So I just enclosed the trailer of the movie for those who did not see it yet.

My husband and I are both movie buff…we both love watching movies. Two nights in a row we were watching the movie of Meryl Streep (oh, i love Meryl Streep!). Perhaps, you have seen “It’s Complicated”, her movie with Alec Baldwin. It was really a “laugh-trip” film. It has substance and lessons…but my oh my…she is really good in acting! The dialogues are all funny. And there maybe some nude scene but it was well done. It doesn’t look kinky and not an offbeat. Adult scenes are nicely executed.Below is the trailer of the movie, this is for the sake of those who have not seen it yet….